17 Rules Even Celebrities Must Follow When Meeting a Royal

What are the chances of you having the honor of meeting the Queen of England or a member of that country’s monarchy? Just do not rush to say that the chances are zero. After all, divas like Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie and Beyoncé also did not imagine that they would have this opportunity. And since there is a chance (even if minimal) of this happening, it is better to prepare properly for the meeting. After all, you probably don’t want to make a faux pas in such an important situation.

O awesome.club gathered 17 crucial (and interesting) rules of royal protocol that must be observed in any contact with members of the Windsor dynasty.

Most of the protocol serves for security purposes. And as protecting the royal family takes great care, you’d better avoid inappropriate pranks when you’re in close proximity to members of the security team. Making faces in front of the queen’s guards, as the actor Kunal Nayyar did, is definitely not worth it.

According to the rules, the queen must be the last person to arrive at an event. For example, the head of the British monarchy arrived at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just five minutes before the bride herself.

No matter what kind of conversation you’re having, touching a royal without permission is a serious breach of protocol. Jennifer Lopez probably forgot about that when she met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The royal family’s website says there are no strict guidelines on how to greet its members. But there are some issues that should be noted. For example, in greetings to the queen, depending on the gender, it is recommended to nod the head (if male) or make a superficial bow (if female). For citizens of other countries, a handshake will suffice. Now, if a celebrity and a member of the Windsor family are intimate, it is highly likely that they will hug or kiss each other on the cheek when they meet. However, in this case too, the initiative must come from royalty.

As per protocol, you shouldn’t strike up a conversation with a member of the British royal family before shaking their hand. And monarchs are usually the first to greet. American actor Billy Eichner said, in a talk show, who, the day before meeting Prince Harry and Meghan, received a letter in which all these subtleties were explained in detail.

It is customary for monarchs to maintain eye contact with the interlocutor during a conversation. Therefore, you must do the same as a sign of respect. Many media outlets commented on this clause of royal protocol after the editor-in-chief of the US edition of Vogue magazine, Anna Wintour, was seen talking to Elizabeth II wearing sunglasses. Many considered this disrespectful. However, judging by the photo, they had a pleasant conversation. Her majesty even smiled.

Upon first contact, the member of the royal family should be addressed as “Her Majesty” (in the case of the Queen) or “Her Royal Highness” (in the case of everyone else). In the sequel, this royal member should be called “ma’am” or “sir”.

Perhaps you already know that members of the royal family call each other by affectionate nicknames. For example, Prince Philip calls his wife (Elizabeth) “cabbage” (cabbage in English). But, no matter how famous you are, calling the queen by that nickname is forbidden. Especially because no one wants to go through an embarrassing moment, like Beyoncé’s, when calling Meghan Markle “my princess” at the premiere of the film The Lion King. or the one of Allison Janney, who referred to Kate Middleton as “darling” in the after party of the BAFTA.

Bowing is only obligatory as long as the queen herself is in front of her. In this case, this is the most acceptable form of greeting for women. Even other members of the royal family are required to bow to greet Her Majesty. Do you remember how Angelina Jolie handled it with class when she received the title of Honorary Dame from Elizabeth II? So, it is better to follow her example.

Royal meetings with guests are almost always planned down to the minute. Therefore, monarchs do not have time to personally greet everyone present. Therefore, if someone brings an escort to the royal event, they will have to be positioned behind the person who invited them. And the person will only be able to talk to a royal if that person initiates the conversation.

Some words are not used in the royal family. For example, “bathroom” or “toilet” is always called a washbasin. This is an optional rule, but if you want to make a good impression, you must follow it.

If you ever meet Elizabeth II, follow her example: when she rises, so must you. If you happen to attend a dinner with Her Majesty, after she has finished her meal, it is recommended that you and others seated at the table do not touch the meal anymore.

Etiquette rules forbid turning your back on the Queen and the rest of the royal family. This is a flagrant violation of protocol. British actress Emilia Clarke confessed, in an interview, that she was warned about this before her meeting with Prince William.

You can’t just drop by the event, meet the royals and walk away. Guests must remain until members of the royal family give permission to leave.

For security reasons, the royals are not allowed to take selfies with fans (even if some of them are very famous people). An autograph session is also out of the question. British monarchs are prohibited from signing autographs and signing anything other than an official document. You’re more likely to hear “I’m sorry, I can’t” when requesting this. This rule was created to prevent counterfeits and scandals. There was a case when Prince Charles broke the rule: when visiting flood victims in Cornwall, he could not refuse such a request to a lady. On a piece of paper, he wrote “Charles 2010”.

there is not one dress code for meetings with the queen. But there is, however, a specific rule: you must choose looks more conservative. Marilyn Monroe heard this information when she was going to meet Elizabeth II in 1956. By the way, this dress code even applies to journalists. When choosing an outfit, you should also avoid flashy colors, as they are often worn by royalty themselves to stand out from the crowd.

It is also recommended to avoid bare legs. All women in the royal family are required to wear tights in public, as protocol forbids their absence. Celebrities and “mere mortals” need not follow this rule.

Above: movie scene The Queen, starring Helen Mirren. Below: Elizabeth II

It’s forgivable if you can’t accept a royal invitation for a really important reason. But be extremely careful, as refusal can be interpreted by them as disrespect. When British actress Helen Mirren refused to attend an Elizabeth II dinner at Buckingham Palace because of her appearance in a film, the story became news across the country.

Would you like to meet the head of the British monarchy? What would you ask Elizabeth? We are curious.